After the End
by Maelstrome
Summary: A little one shot drabble about Slade and his recollection of the events during The End. No, there isn't any more to this story, this is merely meant to be a one shot to set up things that never happened.


A/N: Hello, here's a small drabble I wrote a while back from the perspective of Slade on the events that happened during _The End_. Just kind of a small drabble that I thought up after reading a couple fanfics that happened after the end of the series. Nothing in depth, just a little recollection I wrote about a year ago and yes it is written a bit weird.

 **After the End**

S.W.

The end of the world had come and gone. He had gotten his life back, literally. When that demon had resurrected him to fight the titans and give a message he was only too eager. Those idiotic brats deserved punishment for their interference and for ultimately bringing about his death. Of course things didn't turn out how he wanted, that's what happened when you were a corpse only able to move by the grace of the one holding your soul in their hands. After Trigons betrayal he had made several vows to himself, namely to never take another contract from an inter dimensional hell demon and to stop trying to take on apprentices.

Too many times he had been betrayed, too many times had he failed and failure was something he wouldn't tolerate, even from himself. Yet even after he made those promises he soon found he wouldn't be able to keep one of them. By some cosmic joke, he had to assume, the titans were the only ones who survived the initial downfall of the earth. And as it would turn out, the world was far worse than he had thought.

The first time he gazed upon the carnage he was awestruck but it quickly fled him. Trigon had left the world with nothing, it was such absolute destruction that he briefly wondered if he had been better off staying dead. Of course then he found those who were resisting. Those brats he had fought time and time again still wouldn't give up. A teammate destroyed mentally and physically, the world now fill with hazards that humans wouldn't be able to stand, yet they continued. Persevered.

He had to respect that.

So he had decided to join them, to fight too. There was truly little else he could do if he stopped to think about it. And it was in that decision that he found himself wandering into the bowls of hell with his former apprentice. His first choice, willingly following him. It was a bit shocking at first, but dire circumstances and all that.

He remained aloof however, keeping as much as he could in silence and he could tell the boy wonder was doing the same. While they may have had to work together, they didn't have to enjoy it. That was, until the fighting began. Fiery demons rose and they both faced them in combat. It was almost distracting at first, how in sync the two were. It was almost as if they shared one mind, move for move, fluidly dancing around each other as they took down wave upon wave of foes. As it continued he found a natural rhythm, almost as if him and the boy were always meant to be fighting side by side.

He found himself thinking back to that time long ago when he had first blackmailed the young titan to work for him, oh what he wouldn't have given then to have experienced this fight. As he continued to watch the young boy he began to realize how much the hero had grown. He could tell it was not just from the situation they had found themselves in, there was a certain maturity about him that he found himself admiring all over again. A will power that defied any who came across it and laid enemies flat.

It was then that he remembered his vow and watched as the boy nearly died, falling into, ironically, a pit of lava. He didn't make a move to help and indeed may have been the cause yet he was again suprised. The kid had held on, found way out of a painful and untimely end, mustering up enough defiance to glare at him. Looking at the hero, he outwardly said it was a force of habit, inwardly he wasn't certain why he had done it but in that moment he felt his resolve for his earlier promise crumble away. He realized then that he shouldn't have picked Terra, no matter how much power she had. Looking back it was more of a whim to take her on that it was for Robin. There had been so much time and energy put into the boy, perhaps that was why he didn't try again. His failure and anger for the kid still burned in him while he was alive and his pride wouldn't allow him to try a second time.

He should have.

Standing there in the molten cavern he realized a multitude of mistakes he made. Mistakes he would remedy. He wanted to mention it to his companion in this nightmarish journey but he held back, merely hinting. Testing the waters, but the boy remained firm in his convictions. If anything they had grown stronger.

This didn't annoy him however, perhaps it simply didn't register now that he got a taste of what it was like to have his former apprentice willingly work with him. He knew that Robin had to have noticed it. Anyone would have to be blind not to. The kid could try and deny it but the connection was there, and the results were obvious. By working together he was certain there was little they couldn't do. Even defeating the hellish demon who lurked upon the worlds surface didn't seem too far fetched any longer.

All too soon that stretch of the journey was over, and they had to part ways but he felt a strange new resolve coming over him. If he hadn't been certain before about his death or the world he was now. He would live, he would get his body back and the world would be restored.

From that point to the inter-dimensional demons' defeat only solidified his motivation. They had won, the brats and himself. The champions of humanity. What a thought at was. The hellscape that had covered the earth reverted back to its regular state as if it never happened. In fact he was sure that the teen titans were going to be eager to forget this little victory, it was too nightmarish and all disappeared without a trace, yet he wouldn't be forgetting any time soon.

The world was restored, just as vibrant as he had recalled it. Honestly, there was no point in checking in with the titans upon their return, there were plenty more important matters to deal with.

Before leaving, he did however sneak a glance at the boy wonder before disappearing into the reconstructed city. He knew the kid had felt something as he turned to leave. Good. A parting presence to remind the young hero that his greatest rival was still around and that to start slacking off would be a grave mistake. The teen and his team might have won this battle but there would be more.

It would be a long time before he would be ready however, rebuilding his reputation which was sure to sky rocket after the announcement of his return from the dead. Regaining his resources, however and his hold on the city would come in time. He could wait, after reviving himself he felt like he had all the time in the world. His body was better than ever and he felt nearly invincible, in fact he couldn't imagine someone who wouldn't after claiming to have bested death itself.

He could be patient this time around and he would, because he would have to if he wanted Robin back with him again. Permanently.


End file.
